harris



UNITE STATES PATENT OFFicE.

IRA 'F. HARRIS, OE NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR OF ()NEFOURTH I OF HIS RIGHT TO FREDERICK A. EATON, OF SAME PLACE.

COAL-SIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,913, dated April 2'7, 1880.

Application filed March 15, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern: upper extremities. This causes them to di- Be it known that I, IRA FRANCIS HARRIS, verge from each other very slightly from the of Nashua, in the county of Hillsborough and upper toward the lower end, enabling the State of New Hampshire, have invented cerscreen to clear itself from all particles which tain new and useful Improvements in Ooalbecome jammed between its bars, since it is Sifters, of which the following is a specificaimpossible for such objects to become wedged tion. under these circumstances, and those that may My invention consists in a certain novel conbind occasionally will be easily driven down struction and combination of parts, which will by the next passage of coal over the screen.

10 first be fully described, and then briefly re- This screen may, as to its several bars (I, be cited in the claims annexed. constructed of either metal or wood; but I Referring to the drawings, which form part have found the latter to answer the purpose of this specification, Figure l is a perspective exceedingly well, and to be, in some respects, view, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section, showing even preferable to iron.

15 my invention. I Upon the upper surface of the screen I place 1 A in said drawings indicates the outer casa sheet of strong, coarse, thick fabric of any ing, which may be made after any pattern, alsuitable material. This fabric, which is seen though for some reasons I prefer the form at I*, Fig. 2,is secured to the lower and under shown, which is obviously adapted to save edge of the hopper B, and thence depends 2o useless space, economize lumber in eonstrucupon the screen, covering half, or even twotion, and avoid the clumsiness and ill-proporthirds, of its surface. It may, as I have retioned bulk so often seen in these devices. marked, be composed of any suitable mate- This case opens at the top, where I place a rial, either common textile fabric or wire-nethopper, B, which is kept permanently and auting being suitable. Its function is to diffuse 25 tomatically sealed by means of a hinged lid, the coal to some extent over the surface of O. This lid is attached to a lip, a, formed at the screen by slightly arresting its descent, the top of the case, and it may be balanced but more especially to hold it down thereon, either by a weight, or, in the manner shown in and thus compel it to drop successively upon the drawings, by a bent prolongation of the each of the parallel planes forming the upper 0 rod b, upon which it is hinged. surface of the screen, instead of rebounding Within the interior of the case is placed a from it and reaching the lower end without screen, D, composed of a number of narrow such perfect contact. strips, (I, placed parallel to each other, or A slide, G, may be placed at the rear of the nearly so, and without crossing or transverse case, through which may be inserted a sliding 35 bars. These strips are serrated or cut in sucdrawer or other suitable receptacle for the cessive planes upon their upper edge, said ashes. An opening, I, is formed in the front, planes being parallel with each other and sepwith a projecting lip, t, beneath which may be arated by steps 0 placed at a little distance slid a box or drawer for the separated coal.

- from each other. These bars or strips are A second opening should be cut in theinclined 4o notched into a plate, E, upon the back of front to give easy access to the inner portion the case, and at the other end are supported of the case should the screen need either cleanson a bar placed at such a point as to incline ing or repairs. This opening may be closed said screen at an angle of about forty-five deby a common pivoted lid, K. grees from the perpendicular, and also bring The operation of my apparatus is as follows:

5 its lower end opposite to the mouth or dis- When the coal is thrown into the hopperBits 5 charge-opening of the case. I have already reweight displaces the hinged valve 0 and it marked that these bars or strips d are placed drops upon the screen D, the inclined hopper nearly parallel, the arrangement being such B throwing it back to the extreme upper end as to allow their lower ends to be separated by of the screen. Thence it passes over the in- 50 a space a trifle wider than that between their clined serrated surface D, rolling and sliding loo from one plane, (1, to the next, the fabric F holding it down upon the screen with sufficient force to insure this action and still permit the free descent of the coal. By this means it is thoroughly divested of its ashes and dust, which drop between the bars into any suitable receptacle, While the coal is shot through the mouth 1 into a proper receiver. The moment the coal is discharged fronn the hopper upon the screen the automatic valve 0 cl0ses,thus confining the dust wholly within the interior, save a trifling and almost unnoticeable quantity, which may escape through the discharge-opening I. As this opening, however, is upon the side most distant from the operator, any dust escaping from it occasions no inconvenience whatever.

sifter may be made for a merely nominal price, the construction and arrangement bein g of the greatest simplicity, while the whole, including the screeubars, may be formed of wood.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is 2 5 l. The combination, in a coal-sitter, of the inclined serrated screen D and the fabric F, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a coalsifter consisting of case A, having openings G I, hopper B, automatic valve (J, inclined serrated screen D, and fabric F, all constructed and combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IRA F. HARRIS.

Witnesses OHAs. B. TILDEN, OuAs. E. HIBBARD. 

